Building political literacy among Malaysia’s youth

The Covid-19 pandemic and the 2021 year-end floods have shown that youths are active in volunteerism and community-building initiatives. Will this interest in social welfare translate to a high voter turnout with Undi18? — SHAARI CHEMAT/The Star

With the implementation of Undi18, youth voters should be a force to be reckoned with at the ballot box. However, a rising political apathy among them is a worry. Can better political education encourage more young people to go out to vote?

WITH Undi18 now in effect, the country’s youth will be huge force to be reckoned with in the next general election. However, this power can only have a significant impact if those who wield it choose to exercise their right to vote.

The recent Sarawak and Melaka polls saw a low overall voter turnout, and it would be worrying if this is an indicator of how future elections will play out. There is concern especially that political apathy among the youth in Malaysia is high.